Hotel Californian

The Hotel Californian is the hotel that turned the bottom of State Street into a destination. Opened in 2017 at 36 State Street, a block from the sand and steps from Stearns Wharf, it revived the name of a 1920s hotel on the site and wrapped a modern resort in Santa Barbara's signature Spanish Colonial Revival style — white walls, arched loggias, tiled fountains — then layered Moorish and North African touches inside. Designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard created the furnishings, light fixtures and wall coverings for the rooms, which mix Moroccan pattern with breezy coastal calm, and the effect is one of the most photographed interiors in town. The amenity list reads like a resort: the Majorelle spa, named for the Marrakech garden, open daily for face and body treatments; a pool open from early morning to late evening; a 24-hour fitness center; and a resort fee that covers bikes, beach chairs and umbrellas, local transfers and EV chargers. Food and drink spread across several spaces — The Knock Kitchen + Cocktails for evening comfort food and cocktails, the Goat Tree marketplace cafe for brunch, plus Djinn and The Society: State & Mason. Dogs of all sizes are welcome for a one-time fee. The location is the trump card: the Funk Zone's tasting rooms are across the street, the wharf and East Beach a short stroll, the Amtrak station a few minutes' walk, and the State Street promenade runs straight uphill to the museums. Rates sit at the top of the downtown market; the convenience is unmatched.

The design and the history make it more than a convenient address. The original Californian opened in the 1920s just before the 1925 earthquake reshaped the city, and the site sat underused for years before a long redevelopment produced today's hotel, which occupies several buildings arranged around courtyards. Bullard's interiors are the conversation piece — patterned tiles, carved wood, lanterns and rich textiles — and rooms range from standard kings to suites with terraces and ocean glimpses. Request a room on the quieter courtyard side if you are a light sleeper, since the hotel sits at a lively junction near the freeway and railway.

Practicalities: valet parking costs extra (with daytime and overnight rates) and there is a public garage nearby with a free first period, so car-free travelers arriving by Amtrak have a real advantage here. The resort fee covers bikes, which are the best way to explore the waterfront — ride the Cabrillo path east to Butterfly Beach or west to the harbor. The spa books up on weekends; reserve treatments when you book the room. The Knock opens evenings Tuesday through Saturday, and the Goat Tree handles breakfast and brunch.

Who should stay: first-timers who want to walk everywhere, couples planning tasting-room afternoons and sunset wharf walks, and dog owners (the policy is generous). It is less of a fit for travelers seeking total quiet or a beachfront room on the sand itself — for that, Montecito's Rosewood is the alternative. For most trips centered on downtown, the waterfront and the Funk Zone, the Californian is the most stylish base in town.